Monitoring and managing farms

• US 20060282274A1
• Filed: 06/20/2005
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Farm First Limited
• Original Assignee: Farm First Limited
• Inventors: Bennett, Michael S.
• Application Number:
  US11/157,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20060282274A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/00 Other apparatus for animal husbandry
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/005 Monitoring or measuring activity, e.g. detecting heat or mating
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/014 Providing recall services for goods or products

Abstract

A method of managing a farm includes preparing a farm management protocol and a code of practice and managing the farm in accordance with these documents. The farm management protocol includes instructions for farmers on the use of inputs to the farm to ensure that the outputs of the farm are of a particular quality and specification. The code of practice provides farming guidelines to ensure that application of the farm protocol will result in the particular outputs being achieved reliably. A system for monitoring the inputs and outputs of the farm is also provided to ensure that the farm management protocol is being followed and to enable changes to the protocol to be made as required.

Claims

1. A method for managing a farm comprising:

determining a particular output for a farm;

developing a farm management protocol;

developing a code of practice;

tracing inputs to and outputs from the farm;

managing the inputs to the farm under the farm management protocol and the code of practice in order to achieve the particular output for the farm.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the farm management protocol comprises particular guidelines to be followed on a farm to achieve the particular output.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the code of practice describes general farming practices that should be adhered to on a farm to ensure that following the farm management protocol will result in the particular output being achieved reliably.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the farm management protocol comprises a list of particular suppliers of inputs to the farm.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the farm management protocol comprises guidelines for recording the inputs to and outputs from the farm.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the farm management protocol describes responsibilities of any of:

the farm, suppliers of the inputs to the farm, and buyers of the outputs from the farm.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a particular output for a farm comprises determining a particular specification of milk to be output from the farm.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the farm management protocol comprises guidelines for regular testing of the outputs from the farm.

9. A computer system for monitoring a farm, comprising:

an inputs module for receiving data relating to inputs to the farm;

an outputs module for receiving data relating to outputs from the farm;

a report generation module for generating at least one report relating to the inputs to and outputs from the farm.

10. The computer system of claim 9 wherein the inputs module is further for receiving data relating to use of inputs on the farm.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one report is an historical report of inputs to and outputs from the farm.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one report is a forecast of future inputs to and outputs from the farm.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one report is a health and welfare report.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one report is a report showing a distribution of a contaminated substance in a supply chain.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein the computer system further receives information describing a particular output from the farm and the at least one report contains recommendations for inputs to the farm to achieve the particular output.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein the data relating to inputs to the farm is received from suppliers supplying the inputs to the farm.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the data relating to the inputs to the farm is further received from the farm on a regular basis.

18. The system of claim 9 wherein the inputs to the farm include any of:

pesticides, micro-nutritional ingredients, pharmaceuticals, commodities, veterinary services, breeding services and dairy hygiene services.

19. The system of claim 9 wherein the outputs from the farm comprise milk.

20. The system of claim 9 further comprising a web server for storing the reports and making them accessible via a computer network.

21. The system of claim 9 wherein the inputs module is for receiving data relating to inputs to a plurality of farms, the outputs module is for receiving data relating to outputs from the plurality of farms, and the report generation module is for generating at least one report relating to the inputs to and outputs from at least one farm selected from the plurality of farms.

22. A method for monitoring inputs to a farm, comprising:

communicating information identifying inputs to a farm from the farm and from at least one supplier of inputs to the farm to an auditing facility; and

auditing inputs to the farm at the auditing facility.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the auditing facility is independent of the farm and of the at least one supplier.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the at least one supplier is a particular supplier agreed to by the auditing facility.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein the information is communicated to the auditing facility electronically.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the information is communicated to the auditing facility by email.

27. The method of claim 22 wherein the at least one supplier communicates information identifying inputs to the farm at the time of dispatch to the farm of the inputs.

28. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

communicating information describing outputs from the farm to the auditing facility;

analysing the inputs to and the outputs from the farm at the auditing facility; and

generating a report based on the analysis.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the report comprises instructions for farm management.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising determining particular outputs from the farm and wherein the instructions are instructions concerning inputs to the farm to achieve the particular outputs.

31. The method of claim 22 wherein auditing inputs to the farm comprises:

conducting a search at the auditing facility for a contaminated substance in the inputs to the farm.